Pocket razor blade knife



May 13, 119.52

R. H. sTEAD 22595303u POCKET RAZOR BLADE KNIFE;

Filed April 25. 1949 'fnvenow Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 Claims. .1 This invention relates to pockety razor blade knives.

In order that the principle of the invention" maybe readily understood, Ihavedisclosed single embodiment thereof in the accompanyingdrawing, whereinV I Fig. 1 is a side elevationof the casing of the pocket razor blade knife;

Fig. 2 is an outer end or edge elevationthereof; Fig. 3 is an inner edge'view of one4 of the' two members ofthe casing;

Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section ofJ theentire device with the razor blade in'concealed or protected position withinl the casing;

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal'sectionV of said Figs. 11, 12 and 13 are details broken away, of!

modiedconstructions for holding the members`V ofthe casing in closed position. Y

The object of my invention is to provide a razorblade knife that may be conveniently carried in-a` pocket, as, for example, in a mans` lower vesti pocket, which knife is inexpensive*` to nia-nu-A fa'ctu're, and whereinr the razor bladen'iay"y be' quickly` positioned rmly either in euttingposition"A or in retracted position with the cuttingV blade entirely protected.' Other objects of `my invention will be evident from the" ensuing de` scription."

Referring more particularly tothe'figure's' of the" drawing, the casing'is preferably nia'cle'of two like members I', 2, preferably but not necessarily of e'qualsize and madeV of any suitablefmaterial. Preferably I form the casing of plastic material, but it-may be 'made of other material, such, for example, as` stainless steel. Thel length' of the two-part casing is, as best shown inFigs. 4 and 5', sufficiently greater; than-the K length 1 of therazor blade13 to provide a sturdy c-onstructionfandv it isof'suiiicient heightior'v'ertical extent to provide a sufciently strong construction, and also to provide for two' positionsof the razor blade 3, namely, the concealed or non-cutting position thereof, shown in Figs. 4 and 7, or'the cutting or exposed position thereof, shown in Figs. 5 and 8.

In order readily to indicate the top of the casing, I may and desirably` do notch (as shown" at-4) the upper ends of themeeting edgesiiof-th'e two members I, 2. I may" also, if 5 desired,

provide ythrough-openings 'I, 8, as best shown in Figi. 1; to permit the casingto be hung upon a small'hook or nail or attached to a key ring or the like. I

The two membersi I; [comprising the casing areh'eldin their closed position, shown in Figs. 1;," 4, 5- and 6, by means orany sutableformations, aridil desira'blyA by a plurality of longitudinally extendingpins, two being shown for this purpose atti,-` IIJ i`n`v Figs. 3) 6, '7 and 8. The employment of tlfie'seinternall pins, which are formed upon o secured to one of the `members l or 2 of the casing" at any desired points andv project into openings in therotlher member into which they tightly t, pertits the outer surface of the two members I, Z' toiA be smooth. However, any other .suitable means or formation maybe provided to ensure the two members I, 2 to'be held closely together, yet'V permitting them" t'o' be readily separated, so' that the user may d'uiekl'yA shift the razor bladev fromone' of itsy positions tothe other.

Wliile `any Suitable razor blade may' be mployed 'in thepracticeof my invention, the internal construction' ofthe casing' calls for a razor blade' having a thickened rear or back edge, such as bestrepresented at II in Fig. 9. The razor' blade shown in said Fig. 9 isthatknown upon the market-as tliejGemvrazor bladehaving a thickness at the'back edge of about se and' at Ythe cutting edge .00 9". Itjis' usually provided with the cen'- tralslot I2' and the end notches I3; I3. i

Asshown in Figs. 3, -6, '7, 8 and 10, each of the casing members I, 2 is provided internally withfa lengthwiseextending slot I4 (in memberI l) and I5 (inimeiiiberzi'. 'Ijhes'e slots are ofwsuicient combinedl length to receive and snugly hold the razord bladei 3` when inserted therein; These tw'o' slots" Hf, IF are in longitudinalalign'ment withl each other when the partsj are assembled,

shown` in Figs; 6"an'd"10,` and they extend to the very bottom edge of the casing members I, `2, as indicated at i6 in Figs. 3, '7 and 8, so thatthe razor bla'de 3` extends out through said bottom edge, as indicated inrigs.` 5 ands, when said razor blade is in cutting or exposed position.`

In order toprovide' for the' two positions re` ferred to, for ltherazor blade 3', I `constructin each of `the longitudinal Slots 14,' I5 a longitudinally extending, inwardly directed ridge l1, I8, as'

shown in Figs; 3, 'I and 8,-wh`ich ridge"coristruci` tion providegthe recesses I `4,' I5 at such area Yof merely sufficient size to"receive` the thin body portion of thefrazo'r blade`3,`-butnotto receive the" thicker 'rear' or backredge il of` the razorblade.` Above and below the: saidridge II,` I8, as best shown 'in' Figs. 3, 7" and Slithereqarejthelaterally; widerrecs'sed portions IS, `2U,` respectively` above` and'below the 'ridge`l1',l I8, 4and of such sufficient width transversely? of f the casingto reoe'iw/e'V snugly? or with'V a' sufficiently iig-ht iii; inereisi'ively degli` rear or back edge"l l"of"th'e*'razor b1ade"3,t"s`that it is held rrnly in either position in which it may be placed. The longitudinal edges of the recesses I9, are preferably beveled, as indicated at 2|, 22 in Figs. 6 and 10, to permit the ready insertion of the razor blade 3. The term ridge is used generically to denne each of two formations between which only the body portion but not the thickened rear or back edge of the razor blade can be received.

Assuming that the casing composed of the members I, 2, is closed, with the razor blade 3 in the concealed position, shown in Figs. 4 and` 7, the thickened rear or back edge II of the razor blade 3 is in the recess I9. If it is desired to use the device as a knife, the two members I, 2 of the casing are drawn apart, exposing one-half of the razor blade 3, which is then grasped .and withdrawn from the member I or 2, in which it is stillpositioned, and reinserted, but with the thick rear or'back edge II of the razor blade 3 in the lower recess 20 and with the cutting edge of the razor blade 3 exposed, as shown in Figs. 5 and 8. Then the other member of the casing is slid into place, as shown in Fig. 5, ,and the knife is ready for use.

I have hereinbefore stated that any other suitable means or formations may be provided to ensure the holding of the two members I, 2 closely together, yet permitting them to be readily separated.

In Figs. 11 and 12 I have shown other means than the-pins 9, I0 for this purpose which may supplement such pins or be -used in substitution therefor. Insaid figures, I have represented, -in top plan viewl and in side elevation, a construction wherein a portion of the-two meeting edges 5, 6 of the members I, 2 are respectively provided In Fig. 12, which is a side elevation of a part of the member 2, the said member 2 is provided on the side illustrated, at the top, with the projection 25 fitting into a correspondingly shaped recess inthe member I. Below the said prolongations of the members I, 2, the edges 5, 6 have the same construction and position as in Fig. 1.

In` Fig. 13 is shown a second modified construction for the purpose of holding the two members I, 2 tightly in closed position, yet permitting the ready separation thereof. In this gure, the upper or top edge of each ofthe membersl I, 2 is narrowly longitudinally recessed to receive therein a metallic spring-like piece 26 which is riveted to the member 2 at 21, and is Iormedwith two slight internal recesses 28, 29 to engage-slight elevations 39, 3| formed upon the members I, 2 respectively. At one end, as indicated at 32, the spring 26 is beveled or cut awayso that a finger nail of the user may be inserted` thereunder to spring it upwardly, so as to free it from the projection 30, and thus permit the ready separation of the two members I, 2. The inner end of the groove for receiving the spring 26 is indicated at 33. It will be evident that the top edge of the members I, 2 is substantially ush, inasmuch as the spring 26 is received in the groove referred to.

In the construction shown in Figs.` 11, l2 and 13, the members I, 2 are not notched, as indicated in Fig. l.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense, and not for purposes, of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

'I claim:

1. A pocket razor-blade knife comprising a Vrazor blade of a type having a cutting edge and a thicker backing edge and a two member casing wholly enclosing the blade when in concealed position therein, at both ends and also at both sides and at the back edge and the cutting edge thereof, the said casing comprising two, wholly separate members, each of a length and height to receive a substantial portion of the entire length of the razor blade, each of said two members of the casing being wholly closed at its outer end and comprising two parallel walls spaced suiciently apart to provide a recess to receive flatwise therebetween one end portion of the razor blade, the saidtwo recesses being in longitudinal alignment when the said two casing` members are brought into edge-to-edge relation with a razor blade therein, the said two recesses being of sullicient extent from top to bottom to receive the entire razor blade therein in concealed position,V the said two recesses each having between the top and bottom thereof a longitudinally extending, inwardly directed ridge of suicientV size to receive between the Walls of the ridges the thin body portion only of the razor blade, the thick back edge of the razor blade being receivable in said recesses either above or below the said ridges, so as when in .i the upper position wholly to conceal the razor blade and in the lower position to expose for use the cutting edge of the razor blade.

2. A pocket razor-blade knife in accordance with claim l, wherein means are provided to hold the two members of the casing together, yet permitting them to be readily separated by pulling apart. Y

3. A pocket razor blade knife in accordance with, claim 1, wherein, to hold the two members of the casing together, but permitting their ready separation, one of said members has fastened theretoa spring-like piece which extends lengthwise onto the other member, said other member having a holding formation to engage said springlike piece near its free end, so that such free end may be slightly flexed to disengage said V4. A pocket razor blade in accordance with claim 1, wherein the top edge of one of said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Namel Date 1,556,613 Ladeveze Oct. 13, 1925 2,119,045 Dietrich May 31, 1938 y 2,369,618 Stern Feb. 13, 1945 

